Advantages

Disadvantages

A little of what you fancy

These Frosty Fancies are a Christmas seasonal take on French Fancies. I'm a sucker for gimmicky cakes and have therefore been consuming boxes of them for a couple of weeks now.

The current box is a paler blue than the image shown, and has little folksy illustrations around it to make it look more traditional. Unlike the box shown, these cakes are only drizzled over with white icing, not milk or dark chocolate.

There's eight of them in a box - they're little cakes, about 3 or 4 centimetres across both ways, with a dollop of fondant on top. I've been buying them from the co-op, where they're currently on offer for a pound a box - my maths isn't great, but I make that just over 12p a cake; well worth it in my opinion!

They are tasty, soft, and not too dry, with a hint of vanilla to the icing as it's white icing. I recommend this to those with a sweet tooth like myself, but if you don't have a fondness for all things small, sweet, and cakey, then this is probably not the treat for you.

They are also Suitable for Vegetarians. I advise you check the box for allergy information should you need it.

They all come in individual cake papers, making them easy to share out amongst family and friends should you actually decide to give them any instead of keeping them all for yourself! I also have to say, they go down a treat with a cup of coffee - they seem to complement the coffee flavour well. A welcome bit of comfort food and Christmas cheer!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A nice lookingand tasting little box of cakes that may not be available for long

have a love-hate relationship with Mr Kipling Cakes. A few I really like, but most I find don't taste as nice as they look. However I like to give their products a chance as they are one of the few big brands that only uses free range eggs, and they also bake in Britain. I used to enjoy their fondant Fancies, so I decided to take a chance on trying the Frosty Fancies which appear around Christmas time. They were reduced to 35p from £1 per box of 8 in my Sainsbury's Local along with other festive bakes, so I didn't have much to loose. I am pleased to say I love them!

The ones in the picture above appear to have a drizzle of chocolate over the top of some of the cakes, but the ones I bought have pure white icing. There is a bit of extra white icing piped on but that's it. I think that looks nicer as it suits the frosty name, much as I like chocolate on most things.

The cakes are described as a golden sponge with a vanilla flavour topping and white fondant icing covers the both. The cakes are the same size as other fondant fancies, which means a relatively small cake. They are perfectly sized though for me because they are so sweet that I really wouldn't want a larger serving size. Each one comes in a little white paper case which makes them look a bit daintier than they would otherwise be. Once you open the box, the cakes are in a cardboard tray rather than they usual plastic one which is something I hope Mr Kipling keep up as it is so much easier to recycle. Once you get past that, a lovely vanilla scent meet your nose that reminds me of baking fairy cakes. Yum.

The sponge is delicious and really has a beautiful texture. It is so light and airy, and somehow so fresh tasting that it is hard to believe this is a cake that has been sitting on a shop shelf. This part isn't too sweet which is a blessing because the other parts are. It also holds together well so you won't get showered in crumbs. The vanilla topping sits in a thick blob on the tip of each cake like a spot, albeit a nice one. It doesn't look as though there's a lot present from the outside but when you bite through there seems more than enough. It is sweet as I have already mentioned and very creamy - it reminds me of buttercream icing really. The vanilla taste comes through clearly and it isn't artificial which makes the fancies seem better quality. The fondant icing over the top is just the right thickness for me. It isn't skimped on but I don't like really chunky icing myself. It tastes much the same as other fondant icing and doesn't add much more than sweetness to the overall taste. I love the different textures you get as you bite through the firmer fondant, creamy vanilla and light sponge though. Because of all that sweetness, I find one piece more than satisfying and even my sweet toothed family members found having two fancies at once a bit sickly. For that reason I wouldn't want them too often.

As I haven't started any New Year healthy eating plan yet, I can tell you without blushing that each cake contains 18% of an adults recommended daily intake of sugar and 6 % of their recommended maximum saturated fat intake. This makes them better for me than less sugary tasting cakes that I would find it easier to graze on, as I would probably end up consuming more sugar in the end, whilst not making these Fancies good for me.

I would recommend these if you like fondant icing and vanilla and have a sweet tooth, but not if you have a low tolerance for sugary things. They don't look especially festive once out of the packaging as they are just white and with a best before date on my packaging into January I would buy some more if I saw them. The box has snowflakes on which makes it more seasonal and the reason why I think Sainsbury's were so quick to reduce these on Boxing day. They are half price in my local Tesco as well, and 75p in Waitrose so they may shortly become hard to get hold of if everywhere sells them off. The box doesn't say these are limited editions this year but as they only seem to appear near Christmas I think they effectively are. Get them while you still can - I have noticed Poundland have just got some in so maybe that is where unsold stock will end up!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

I'm not a fan, sorry Mr Kipling.

I have a very sweet tooth but strangely I'm quite fussy over cakes. I'm not keen on most icing and I'm quite picky over what sort of sponge I like! My daughter is a fan of Mr Kipling Frosty Fancies so I've 'indulged' in a few of them lately. Frosty Fancies are very similar to French Fancies but are Christmas themed and only available over the festive season.

The cakes come in a recyclable cardboard box, which is nicely decorated and looks very festive. Each box contains 8 cakes. The cakes aren't individually wrapped but do come in cake cases. Each Frosty Fancy is about 1.5 inches tall and wide. The cakes are rather petite and 'pretty'. They are almost square shaped (but with rounded edges) with a lump on the top. They are completely covered in white icing with white icing stripes on top (not brown as pictured above).

The majority of the cake is made from sponge. The sponge has a very pleasant texture - moist and fluffy, just how sponge should be. The cakes in general have a nice texture too, very soft and smooth all the way through. However the main issue I have with these cakes is the icing. The icing is quite thick (especially on top) and they also have a huge blob of vanilla fondant inside (on top). The icing is vanilla flavour and I find the cakes are just too vanilla based, there isn't a great deal of flavour, if there were another flavour inside it would break it up a bit and make it more pleasant on the taste buds. I also find that because of the flavour and the amount of icing/fondant, the fancies are way too rich and sickly for me (they overpower the sponge too). I could eat a box of cherry bakewells but I can't stomach more than one tiny Frosty Fancy at a time! As I've already mentioned I'm not the biggest fan of icing, or French Fancies for that matter (I can take them or leave them) but if you love icing and French Fancies, you probably might like Mr Kipling Frosty Fancies!

Each cake contains 2.7g of fat, 106 calories an 19.5g of carbohydrates. These obviously aren't the healthiest of treats (especially given that they are so small yet so calorific), however they should be fine if eaten as treats and in moderation. They're suitable for vegetarians and are free from artificial colours. They contain no hydrogenated fat and are baked in Britain with free range eggs.

Mr Kipling Frosty Fancies are widely available and can be found in most supermarkets. They usually cost around the £1.50 mark but I find they are often on offer. My most recent box cost just £1.00 from Tesco which I think is good value for money for a pack of 8. I will probably continue to buy Mr Kipling Frosty Fancies at my daughters request (she has also mentioned that she finds them very sickly but still likes them) but I won't be buying any for myself!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE.

I am extremely fussy in regards to what goes in my mouth but, as many of us do, I have an annoyingly enormous sweet tooth. Soo when I came to the isle containing this little sugary newbie, I found it difficult to pass untouched. The pretty baby blue box drew me in as I have always been drawn to pastel coloured packaged food.. unsure as to why to be quite honest! The sign 'Frosty Fancies - £1' made the buy even more irresistible, so, I gave into temptation and placed a box inside my basket; alongside some gingerbread men and orange - flavoured star shaped shortbread! 'What am I doing to myself!' I kept thinking over and over in my head as I dragged my feet to the till. I guiltily placed the basket onto the counter and the cashier asked: 'Is there anything else, madam?' 'No, thank you' I replied, when I really should have said 'where do you keep your banana's and mangoes?'. Ah well, I got a taxi back to my halls (okay, I should have walked) and made myself a healthy chicken sandwich. With the box carefully placed on my washing basket, creating voices in my head, crying out to me and looking soooo magical I gave up with reading 'Hard times', put on the inbetweeners and opened up the box of Frosty Fancies. The smell hit me first - I imagined a Kipling version of Charlie and the chocolate factory to smell this way (Kipling and the cake factory) a heaven for cakes. I actually lost sight of the typically, dingy. student accommodation i was in; with the stained tiles, off - colour walls and code names written in the corner primarily for the next tenant and imagined a field of edible, vanilla flavoured lilies, scattered around lime tasting grass and river with a raspberry kick. The bite was a moment of madness. The sponge was buttery soft, complementing the icing and cream encasing the top. Okay, so my sweet tooth extended that night to six sweet tooth - one for each cake I swiftly demolished guilt free. The next day i purchased two more boxes and I guiltily confess, there are two more frosty fancies awaiting a trip to Hollywood. (my name is Holly)The gingerbread men and orange flavoured shortbread haven't been touched.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE.

I am extremely fussy in regards to what goes in my mouth but, as many of us do, I have an annoyingly enormous sweet tooth. Soo when I came to the isle containing this little sugary newbie, I found it difficult to pass untouched. The pretty baby blue box drew me in as I have always been drawn to pastel coloured packaged food.. unsure as to why to be quite honest! The sign 'Frosty Fancies - £1' made the buy even more irresistible, so, I gave into temptation and placed a box inside my basket; alongside some gingerbread men and orange - flavoured star shaped shortbread! 'What am I doing to myself!' I kept thinking over and over in my head as I dragged my feet to the till. I guiltily placed the basket onto the counter and the cashier asked: 'Is there anything else, madam?' 'No, thank you' I replied, when I really should have said 'where do you keep your banana's and mangoes?'. Ah well, I got a taxi back to my halls (okay, I should have walked) and made myself a healthy chicken sandwich. With the box carefully placed on my washing basket, creating voices in my head, crying out to me and looking soooo magical I gave up with reading 'Hard times', put on the inbetweeners and opened up the box of Frosty Fancies. The smell hit me first - I imagined a Kipling version of Charlie and the chocolate factory to smell this way (Kipling and the cake factory) a heaven for cakes. I actually lost sight of the typically, dingy. student accommodation i was in; with the stained tiles, off - colour walls and code names written in the corner primarily for the next tenant and imagined a field of edible, vanilla flavoured lillies, scattered around lime tasting grass and river with a raspberry kick. The bite was a moment of madness. The sponge was buttery soft, complementing the icing and cream encasing the top. Okay, so my sweet tooth extended that night to six sweet tooth - one for each cake I swiftly demolished guilt free. The next day i purchased two more boxes and I guiltily confess, there are two more frosty fancies awaiting a trip to Hollywood. (my name is Holly)The gingerbread men and orange flavoured shortbread haven't been touched.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A wintery version of these great little cakes.

I try not to buy too many sweet treats generally as I have a sweet tooth and if there is something sweet in the house I will eat it. But at Christmas I tend to buy things I would normally stay away from in case we have visitors. My mother in law loves French fancies so when I spotted the Mr Kipling frosty fancies in my local Iceland store I thought I would purchase a box for the next time she came over.

At the time that I purchased these they were on a promotional price of just £1.00 for a box of 8 cakes. I thought this was rather good value and picked up a couple of boxes.

Obviously these Frosty Fancies made by Mr Kipling were a Christmas promotional item as instead of the usual pastel coloured cakes you get in a box of French fancies these were all a frosty White colour. The frosty fancies come packaged in rectangular cardboard box which has the Mr Kipling logo on the front as well as a picture of the cakes inside and a lovely wintery wonderland picture making them look very appealing indeed. On the back of the box you can find a description of the cakes, ingredients listings, allergy advice, nutritional information and the Mr Kipling guarantee. Inside the box you will find a pull out cardboard tray which has the fondant fancies neatly placed inside and wrapped in a clear plastic to keep them nice and fresh.

The frosty fancies are described as golden sponge with a vanilla flavoured topping, covered in a fondant icing. As you can imagine any cake is not going to be the healthiest thing you can eat and each individual frosty fancy contains the following nutritional information:- Calories - 106kcal- Protein - 0.7g- Carbohydrate - 19.5g- Fat - 2.7g- Fibre - 0.1g- Sodium - 0.06gThese frosty fancies are also suitable for vegetarians, contain no artificial colours, flavourings or hydrogenated fat.

Once you open the box you will see the frosty fancies laid out alongside each other in the pull out cardboard try. There are four completely white fancies and four that have a chocolate icing drizzle on the top. The fancies are square in shape and you will notice that they have a slightly domed top which is the vanilla topping which lies on top of the sponge under the icing. I found these frosty fancies to be just as tasty as the original French fancies, the sponge is really light and not too sweet and the vanilla flavoured topping adds a nice smooth texture to the cake and the sweet fondant icing complements the sponge really well. On first appearence you may think these cakes are a bit on the small side but the fondant icing makes them quite sweet so even one certainly satisfies those sweet cravings. Overall I found these little frost fancies to be very tasty indeed and I hope they will return next Christmas as they are a good value sweet treat.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

so much nicer than the original fancies!

Mr Kipling is a brand offering delicious cakes and sweet treats. French Fancies are small sponge cakes and are normally pink, brown and yellow. Mr Kipling release limited edition French Fancies for Halloween and Christmas.

*~*Frosty Fancies*~*

As you may have guessed, Frosty Fancies are a Christmas treat from Mr Kipling - a festive version of the normal French Fancies.

There are four bite sized cakes per box and each is presented in a thin, paper wrapper. Each cake is sponge with a bundle of vanilla topping. Each cake is then covered all over (except the base) with white icing. Four of the cakes have white drizzle and the other four have a chocolate drizzle.

The cakes are presented in a cardboard tray. This is then slipped into an outer carboard box. The box is festive with cold blue and warm red colours and all the relevant product information is present alongside some delicious looking cakes.

*~*Ingredients and Nutrition*~*

The cakes do not contain any artificial colours, flavours or hydrogenated fats. They are suitable for vegetarians but are not suitable for those who suffer from egg, wheat, milk or soya intolerances. There is a whole host of ingredients though sugar is high on the list.

Each cake has 106 calories, 16.6g of sugar and 1.2g of saturated fat.

*~*Price*~*

Frosty Fancies are currently available from Asda and Tesco priced at £1.00 a box.

*~*My Thoughts*~*

I don't like regular French Fancies as I don't like the lemon or chocolate icing so it seems a waste to buy a box just for the strawberry flavour! Last month I spotted these Frosty Fancies and after being impressed with the Halloween version (Fiendish Fancies) I decided to give them a try. I have bought them a few times now as a treat and have also bought a box for the hamper I make my Gran up for Xmas. I would say these are a nice thing to buy to take to someones house when visiting as they are pretty much ready to be served. They would be ideal with a wee cup of tea in the afternoon as well.

The fancies are perfectly protected in the box and are presented well. Each cake looks tasty and there is a sweet aroma coming from the box once opened. Each cake is a decent size to allow for a few bits and they are quite plump! My Dad can get one full cake in his mouth in one go though so it depends on how big your mouth is! Because of the white icing, I don't feel these look as impressive when served on a dish although they do look reasonably festive and fresh.

*~*Having My Cake..*~*

These are very much enjoyed by myself and my fiance although far too sweet for our toddler son and he would rather have a custard cream anyway! The icing makes up 49% of the overall cake so you are guaranteed something extra sweet. The icing has a firm texture which simply melts in my mouth and turns sticky. It is very sweet and anymore than one cake will leave you feeling sickly - even if you have a sweet tooth like me.

There is a slight difference in taste between the differently topped cakes. The chocolate drizzled over the top of the cakes is quite rich and adds a bitter taste to the icing which is pleasant but not too much. The vanilla topping makes up 11% of the cake and is just enough to balance out the cake. The vanilla topping is creamy and light - almost as if it has been whipped up. It has a nice vanilla flavouring which isn't too sweet. It sits proudly in the peak at the top of the cake.

The sponge underneath would be rather plain on its own. It is golden brown and pleasantly light and airy. It has a slightly moist consistency and doesn't crumble or taste cheap. The sweetness from the icing and vanilla topping compliments the sponge perfectly. The overall cake is satisfying without being too heavy though is extremely sweet. It leaves a subtle, sugary aftertaste. I don't feel the need to swallow down a drink afterwards as the cake isn't dry in any way and is a true treat to eat.

*~*Conclusion*~*

One of these Frosty Fancies is sufficient for a treat - anymore than one and I would feel greedy and a bit sick to be honest. You should watch the sugar content but providing you aren't munching on a box a day, you should be fine! 8 cakes for £1.00 is a bargain in my opinion so get down to the supermarket and treat yourself!

Thanks for reading x

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A delicious little cake

I've always loved french fancies, I remember getting them as a treat when I was a kid and thinking they were something really special, so when I saw these Mr Kipling Frosty Fancies for just £1 a box in Morrisons I had to try them.

You get 8 fancies in the box which are packaged in a tray and wrapped in plastic inside the box. Each one also comes in it's own paper case.

The fancies are not big, they're only about an inch and a half square, and the same height, which makes them perfect for a little sweet treat.All the fancies in this box are the same flavour but they are decorated in 2 different colours, they're all white but 4 of them have brown icing decorating them and 4 have white decoration.

for anyone who doesn't know what a fancy is, it's basically a little square of sponge with a blob of creamy topping on the top, covered in a layer of fondant icing. In this case the topping is vanilla flavoured.

The sponge tastes lovely and is really light but not at all dry which is why I love them so much, there's nothing worse than dry sponge! The vanilla topping is delicious and creamy and has a lovely subtle vanilla flavour, and the icing is very sweet but because it's only a fairly thin layer it isn't sickly or overpowering. All the elements come together to make a really delicious, sweet but not cloying, light treat which I just can't resist, and I must admit I much prefer this vanilla one to the usual French Fancy flavours.

Each one has 106 calories, 2.7g of fat and 16.6g of sugar, which is a lot for such a small thing but I really think it's worth using the calories for this, it's just delicious! Overall a fantastic little cake!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Gorgeous festive gen from Mr Kipling! Eat them whilst they are still on sale!

For me, one of the best things about Christmas is all the festive products you can get for your home and the festive food stuffs. So, I was delighted to see a favourite of mine, French Fancies had been given a Festive sprucing up and Mr Kipling had brought out these gorgeous and pretty looking "Frosty Fancies".

My first impression is that these look like square snowballs. In your pack you get the usual eight cakes, but half of them are all white and half of them have thin strips of chocolate drizzled over the top (see the photo). All the cakes taste the same- they are all vanilla flavoured and contain the usual nodule of cream in the top.

The box describes the cakes as "Golden sponge with a vanilla flavoured topping, covered in fondant icing". I adore how the white cakes are really all white- very festive. White fondant, white creamy topping and white songe cake.

Nutritionally these are especially mild for such a sweet food- per cake it is only 106 calories and 2.7g of fat. As these cakes are so sweet, you can if you like, actually cut them into smaller strips to nibble at if you have a sensitive tooth. I love French Fancies in general but actually prefer these white festive ones as they just taste that bit more special. The fondant and the creamy topping tastes a bit more like a good buttercream in a victoria sponge.

I think these are going to be a limited editional seasonal release. I am hoing Mr Kipling will bring these back every christmas now as I have really enjoyed them this year so i'll be on the look out for them next Christmas!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Lovely cake

When we spotted these Frosty Fancies in Tesco last month we had to have some as it meant it was nearly Christmas time! I quite like French Fancies but only the pink ones so one advantage of these was that they are just white in colour. I thought this might mean they were subtly flavoured and would probably taste of vanilla. We picked these up for the bargain price of £1. They are still this price in Tesco until 1st December. The Fancies come in a box of 8 which I thought was a great price. The box is mainly navy blue in colour with stars on to give it the Christmas touch. There is also a good sized picture of the product which represents it well.

Opening the box I saw that all of the Fancies were covered in white icing. Half of them had brown icing lines on the top and the other half had white. I opted for the white first as I thought these would taste nicer even though I must admit they taste exactly the same! Biting into the cake I noticed how soft the cake was, it was soft yet not crumbly and melted well in the mouth. The icing coating the cake was sweet and quite sickly, it was thick and coated the cake well and had a nice vanilla taste. The cream on top of the cake was creamy, thick and had a lovely taste, it was not at all artificial and all 3 of the ingredients mixed together well providing me with a sweet taste with a lovely cake.

Each cake contains 106 calories, 16.6g sugar, 2.7g fat (1.1g saturates) and 0.2g salt. I must add here that it is difficult to stop at one as they are very tasty! However, they seem to have quite low fat and saturates for cakes of this kind so therefore a couple shouldn't hurt every once in a while!

I liked these cakes, much more than the regular French Fancies. They had a lovely taste and I really enjoyed them. I think they are a bargain at £1 for 8 cakes and they are perfect to share with the family. Highly recommended.